The Princess (14 page)

Erica was opening her mouth to say that Nikolai did
not
look rested, but she glanced up and saw Shelby coming toward them.

“Oh, Shelby’s on her way.”

Nikolai turned and froze. Coming toward him was his wife, but unlike he’d ever seen her. She had cut her hair off to well above her shoulders and dyed it black. If a slight breeze had come down the hall, it would have been enough to push Nikolai over.

All this time I’ve never told her how pretty her hair is, and now she’s dyed it.

“Shelby,” Erica called and then greeted her with a hug, “you must be off to Bible study.”

The rest of their conversation was lost on Nikolai. Now that Shelby was very close, he suspected she was wearing a wig, but all he could do was stare at his wife and then at his mother, who was acting as though everything was normal.

“I’d better go,” Shelby’s voice cut back through his trance. “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye,” Erica said warmly. Nikolai managed only a wave.

“What is it, Nicky?” Erica asked when she saw her son’s face.

“How did you know she was going to Bible study?”

“The wig.”

“She wears a wig to Bible study?”

Erica’s look was thoughtful and faintly disapproving.

“Shelby has Bible study with several ladies, all of whom have cancer and are in various stages of treatment. She wears a wig in empathy and comaraderie.”

Nikolai nodded, another glimmer of light coming through about his wife.

“Tell me, Nicky,” Erica asked softly, “are you working at all to get to know her?”

Nikolai did not immediately answer. He wanted to be completely honest, but things were changing so fast.

“It’s coming, Mother, but I won’t tell you I’m there. Just in the last week I’ve realized some things, and I’m working on them, but to date, I don’t know her at all.”

“Thank you for telling me, Nicky. I’ll keep praying, and you keep working at it.”

“I will. She’s pretty busy right now, and since I was deliberately trying to keep busy and away from her, we’re like ships in the night. It may take some weeks to fix that, but Murdock is aware of my desire to schedule more things together, and I’m working on my attitude.”

Erica looked at him in frank curiosity. “What has your attitude been, Nick? Can you tell me?”

Again Nikolai thought and said softly, “There is a lot of fear involved, and you’ll probably be surprised to find out that it’s not over loving again or finding out that Shelby is a wonderful person. It’s over the public’s reaction to Shelby and how popular she is. I can’t stand the thought that my precious Yvette would be found wanting in their eyes.”

Erica put her arms around her son and hugged him for all she was worth. Her eyes had flooded with tears on this report, so it took a moment for her to speak.

“There will always be vicious people, dear—always. But everyone who knew Yvette adored her. Everyone, Nicky. I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Satan is just using this line of thought to distract you from building a marriage with a woman who could stand by your side and work with you to glorify God.”

“No one has actually said anything, so you’re probably right. I’m torturing myself for no reason.”

Erica took Nikolai’s hand in her own. “I loved Yvette and always will. I have mourned for her as though she were the child of my own body, but I will be honest with you, Nick. Shelby has been like a balm for that pain. My only daughter is your wife. I loved Yvette and I love Shelby. Both women have, and do, make it very easy. Give yourself time, Nick, as much time as you need, but don’t underestimate Shelby. I think you will be very surprised by what you find in the woman you’ve married.”

Nikolai bent and kissed his mother’s soft cheek. She always smelled sweet, and for a moment he was transported back to childhood and sitting in her lap, safe in the circle of her arms. He could honestly say that she had never misled him. She had held him often, through tears and laughter, and never once had she taken a joke so far that he mistrusted her.

Give yourself time, as much as you need, but don’t underestimate Shelby.

As much as he wanted to act on his mother’s words, Nikolai found himself asking God to work a miracle in his heart, certain beyond a doubt that this was the only answer.

“Murdock,” his wife said to him as soon as she spotted him in the dining room. “Did the princess get the food I wanted to send with her?”

“Of course,” Murdock answered quietly, thinking his wife was losing her senses; he would never forget such a thing.

“Good,” she said complacently, setting the dishes down for the prince.

“Where was Shelby taking food?” Nikolai asked from his place at the table.

“To the lake house, sir,” Murdock informed him. “She left this morning.”

Nikolai didn’t reply. He thanked Fran for dessert and went back to his eating. Fran left the dining room, not looking at her husband but knowing his eyes were on her. She exchanged a look with Arlanda as soon as she was behind the closed kitchen door, but neither woman dared to speak.

Another ten minutes passed before Murdock returned to the kitchen, and when he did, it did not escape his notice that his wife was too busy to speak to him or meet his eyes. She looked so adorable that he decided to drag her into the pantry for a scolding and a kiss, but the prince joined them.

“Murdock, I think I want you to ask my grandfather if we can take a week off from our Bible study.”

“All right, sir. Is there anything else I can do?”

“Yes. Let Ivan know that I wish to go to the lake house tonight after my meeting. Tell him to get some rest if he needs to.”

“I’ll take care of it, sir.”

Nikolai took himself from the room, and Murdock wasted no time in looking at his wife. The smile on her face was positively wicked.

“Francis Diane,” he began but stopped and laughed.

“I told you last night,” she said, coming close as she spoke, her eyes still sparkling. “Sometimes love needs a little help.” She went on tiptoe to kiss him, and it was some time before he remembered he had to contact the king regent for the prince.

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Early Saturday morning Shelby sat in a lounge chair on the deck and read the verses from Psalm 100. She had been rushing for more than a week and taking little time with her Bible study. She had learned long ago that strolling through Scripture would not feed her. She must dig and mine for the truths God had for her and take time to find passages to refresh and remind her of the great God who loved her.

The whole point of coming to the lake was to rest and take it easy for a few days, away from appointments and the telephone. This had been easier said than done. So married to her routine had she become that Shelby had woken before six and not been able to sleep again. Hoping not to disturb the staff, she pulled on shorts
and a baggy T-shirt from her suitcase and went to the deck that overlooked the lake so she could study her Bible. The plan worked for a time, but the busy week was catching up. Feeling the effects of the early hour, Shelby pulled a light blanket over her shoulder and closed her eyes to pray. She was still sound asleep when the prince found her almost an hour later.

Shelby woke slowly and frowned at the waters of Lake Alston before remembering where she was. She stretched like a cat, groaning in pleasure, as she removed the kinks from her back and neck.

Watching her from another padded chaise, Nikolai remained quiet until she spotted him. As he had come to expect, she blushed.

“Good morning,” he said, ignoring the blush and trying to dismiss the way she blinked at him and looked so uncertain. “Did you wake early?”

Shelby nodded. “It’s such a habit, I guess.” Her voice sounded croaky, and she swallowed. “Did you get in last night or this morning?”

“Last night. I didn’t wake you?”

“No. I didn’t hear a thing. Nikolai, did I take your bedroom?”

“At the lake house, everyone fends for himself.”

“But the bed is so large. Maybe you would be more comfortable in my room.”

“All the beds are large, and I’m fine, but thank you.”

While Shelby watched as his gaze went to the water. He really was remarkably handsome, just like his father, but Shelby gained so little warmth from him. She knew he was trying, but they had a long way to go.

As she watched, a moment of pain seemed to cross his face. His eyes narrowed, and his chest lifted in a sigh. Shelby wanted to look away—it seemed so private—but she kept on staring.

Where she got the courage to speak she did not know, but when he looked at her she said very quietly, “It looked as though you were thinking of Yvette just then.”

Nikolai looked back at her. “I was. How did you know that?”

“I didn’t know, not for certain.”

Again Nikolai’s gaze went back to the clear blue water of the lake. “She enjoyed this lake house. Her family lived on the Mediterranean, and she always loved seeing the water. Then there was a storm when we were staying here one night, and she never wanted to come back here alone.”

“I’m not crazy about storms myself,” Shelby told him. She glanced up at the house. “The wind would be scary against all those windows.”

“A tree came through one of the windows in the living room. That about did her in,” the prince said. His voice had dropped as he shared, and Shelby watched as tears came to his eyes. Shelby’s own eyes were huge in an attempt not to join him.

“I didn’t expect to feel this way,” he said softly. “I came without thinking.”

“Would you like us to leave?” Shelby offered, and Nikolai looked at her for a moment, working to stem his emotions. Shelby only looked back at him, her eyes full of understanding.

You’re just as sweet as everyone says you are. Tell me, Shelby, do you ever put yourself first?

“No,” Nikolai said at last, giving a small shake of his head. “I think it will do me good to stay, but thank you for offering.”

Nikolai fell quiet then, and Shelby let him. They both still had their eyes on the lake when Colleen, the cook and housekeeper for the lake house, came to offer them coffee. This they enjoyed in silence as well.

Shelby’s thoughts began to drift, and for a time she might have been alone on the deck. When she did think to look over at her husband, she found him as he had found her: sound asleep.

“Okay,” Shelby said, her eyes and voice intent. “Put a stick in this little tower and one here in this larger one. Now, what do you think?”

“This is the best sand castle in the whole world,” the little boy on the beach informed her.

“I think you may be right, Monty. What else do we need?”

“Some water,” Monty exclaimed, grabbing the bucket and heading toward the small waves that lapped at the shore. Shelby watched him with a smile on her face. He had told her he was five, and Shelby would have been concerned but took note of the fact that his babysitter never let him out of her sight. She had smiled at Shelby but kept her distance as the little boy asked the redhead on the beach if she wanted to play. What she wanted to do was fall asleep in the sun, but she took one look at his huge gray eyes and said yes.